After spending some time working after graduation as a housing case manager for homeless youth ages 18-24, Alyssa Norton knew she wanted to build on her undergraduate criminal justice degree in some way.
After spending some time working after graduation as a housing case manager for homeless youth ages 18-24, Alyssa Norton knew she wanted to build on her undergraduate criminal justice degree in some way.
“While working directly with a vulnerable population, I was able to see how many of my clients had been affected by the criminal justice system whether they were involved as a victim or offender,” says Norton, who is graduating with her Master’s in Criminal Justice Data Analytics at Marquette University. “This exposure sparked my curiosity, and I wanted to have a better understanding of data and be able to identify trends and patterns in crime.”
Whether it’s in law enforcement, sports, finance or health care, data science is undoubtedly transforming industries by addressing critical problems and advancing knowledge across the globe. More than just numbers and algorithms, data science at Marquette is about using data ethically to make better decisions, improve lives and drive positive progress in a world increasingly powered by information.
Norton hopes to do just that by using her master’s degree as a crime analyst in law enforcement. “I am also open to other opportunities within the criminal justice field where I can apply the new skills and knowledge I have gained to help improve understanding,” Norton says.
Fellow Marquette grad student Maggie Olejnik has always loved numbers and wanted to build on her undergrad degree to open up career opportunities in athletics. As a student-athlete herself, she plans to work with athletes after earning her Master’s in Sports and Exercise Analytics. “Taking testing information, analyzing it and communicating with the coaches and staff about why the results are important can determine ways to help the whole team succeed,” Olejnik says.
Marquette’s Sports and Exercise Analytics program provides its students with unique benefits, according to Olejnik. “I really appreciate the small class sizes, in-person learning and mostly the ability to work directly with Marquette Athletics. I get to work on projects with Athletics that I wouldn’t be able to do without being in person or with larger class sizes. The program is very personal, and you can get so much out of it in many ways, depending on what interests you,” Olejnik says.
To learn more about Marquette University’s data science programs, visit marquette.edu/data-science.
The Marquette University Graduate School’s data science programs provide graduates with several personalized opportunities to use data for good — whether that’s in criminal justice roles, working with athletes, as applied psychologists, neuroscientific researchers or other exciting professions.
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